1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for discharging material relative to a construction surface.
2. Description of Related Art
Dams, roads and similar large scale construction projects that require building up a surface in layers. Concrete and rock filled dams, large concrete pads and roads are traditionally constructed by hauling rocks and/or concrete from a blasting site, concrete plant or quarry to the construction site using large dump trucks and/or mixing trucks. In rock-filled dams, a bulldozer then spreads the rocks and rollers are used to compact the material until it reaches a specified density. Similarly, in concrete construction, a cantilevered trough pours the concrete until it reaches a desired level.
Bulldozers and trucks also typically prepare roads on the dam so that trucks can drive on successive layers safely and without damaging tires and suspensions. This process is costly and time consuming because numerous trucks are required to transport the material to the construction site. In some instances, traditional conveyors have also been used to transport the rocks and/or concrete to the dam site. Such conveyors traditionally discharge a windrow of material in front of other machines that, later on, spread the material over a much larger work area. Such conveyors traditionally use a fixed discharge device that results in a very narrow windrow of material.